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Chat Stick – USB Flash Drive To Recover All Her Dirty IMs

Several weeks ago I reported on the flash drive which detects p0rn and today I’m letting you know about the Chat Stick.  A flash drive which recovers all those dirty Instant Messages. The USB Chat Stick is loaded with software which scans the host computer for all instant message conversations, deleted or not, and uses recovery software to localize all those discussions into one, nice, handy place; the flash drive.

USB chat stick

So here’s the obvious spin about the USB Chat Stick.  You can search a computers history for children IM conversations to make sure they aren’t sexting or worse, talking to on-line predators.  Or, for the paranoid spouse, a great tool to finally put your curiosity to rest – are they cheating on me? But from a business perspective, I think this has a lot of value.  For example, we spend many hours talking to suppliers overseas about flash drives, MP3 players etc and there are many conversation which get deleted away.  Import business transaction information that, one day, you may need to recover.  The USB Chat Stick can help. Here are the company’s talking points: Continue Reading

Secure Banking USB Device

Banking giant UBS started deploying a device from IBM which ensures online banking transactions aren’t being manipulated by on-line hackers. IBM’s ZTIC (Zone Trusted Information Channel) is a smart-card reader that attaches to computer via a USB cable. During an online banking transaction, it bypasses the Web browser and makes a direct connection with the bank.  The connection is an industry standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) which enables the user to enjoy a secure link between their computer and the bank server.

UBS secure banking

What is great about the USB secure product is that a hacker could not cloak a transaction via the web and show the user a transaction of one amount, while robbing them blind with a different amount as the “actual” transaction. What is funny about the UBS press release is the following:
If the transaction has been hacked and the account number is different, the customer can abort the payment by hitting a red “x,” or a green check if it’s fine
Well…if they knew the transaction was hacked, wouldn’t they stop it anyway? Another nice feature of the UBS secure USB device is that a keylogger could not record keystrokes because the sync process between the user and bank happens through the UBS device, no account numbers are used or typed. Continue Reading

Kingston With Secure Flash Drive Issues

It’s been all over the blogs the last couple of days regarding Kingston and their security issues.  They have been tight lipped about exactly what makes the device vulnerable and with specific information it’s hard to gauge just how hard it would be for someone to crack it.

Kingston secure flash drive

I don’t think the typical user who keeps their personal information secure with this drive [in the event it’s lost] has much to worry about, but the government has purchased plenty of units and that’s clearly a concern.  The list of drives include Data Traveler BlackBox, the Data Traveler Secure – Privacy Edition, and the Data Traveler Elite – Privacy Edition.  Again, a typical computer user probably doesn’t have the tools or skills to unlock the device, but a professional would. My guess is the IC controller chip which runs the AES 256 encryption is at fault here and someone has figured out how to hack the machine code and disable the encryption, but that’s just my educated guess being in the industry. PC World did a good write up about the statement and interesting perspective on the whole situation. Continue Reading

Sony USB Human Vein Reader

You learn something new every day.  Today I learned that Sony has been working on a new bio technology that reads vein structure of a human hand.  The project is called “Mofiria.”

USB vein reader

Object behind this project is taking the biometric finger reading technology one step further, and using vein structure as the authentication code [after all we have all seen movies where a fake silicon finger gets the burglars in]. So now the biometric technology is all buttoned up, Sony developed a USB vein reader that users could implement in the field. Continue Reading

New ioSafe Water Proof & Fire Proof 2TB USB Hard Drive

For those who need disaster recovery protocols put into place, the new ioSafe 2TB hard drive is your best friend.  The USB hard drive is both water proof and fire proof making it the most durable drive on the market, and essential for disaster recovery mandates. I can tell you one thing, seeing is believing.  Check out this 2 minute video where the ioSafe is getting wet and wild and then dried off at over 1,500 degrees.
<a href="https://www.linkedtube.com/5fo1DDqdo1o82adc390a818482494ab0f48de0e9340.htm">LinkedTube</a>
The USB hard drive ioSafe can be submersed in water for 3 days without damage to the digital content. The ioSafe USB hard drive can withstand fire excess of 1,500 degrees for over 15 minutes without damage to the digital content.  So how do they do it?  Continue Reading

USB Ban at DoD to Be Lifted?

USB ban at DoDLets face it, USB sticks are an everyday tool for doing business.  That’s why I was surprised to hear the ban on USB flash drives at the Pentagon back in November of 08.  However, I can see the security concerns they would have with the power a USB stick can behold. Today, we found out the ban will be lifted from the DoD in the coming months.
Robert Cary the CIO for the Navy states. “In the future, we expect that a government-owned and procured USB flash media that is uniquely and electronically identifiable for use in support of mission-essential functions on DoD networks will be permitted for use by authorized individuals,” Cary said in his blog. “The bottom line is, the days of using personally owned flash media or using flash media collected at conferences or trade shows are long gone. What we connect to our home PCs is very different from what is and will be allowed to occur on DON [Department of Navy] networks.”
This policy is more in line with what I’d expect from the military and devices like the Encryptakey I would think become a staple at locations like the Pentagon. Source:  DarkReading. Continue Reading

USB Silent Keystroke Recorder

USB key loggerHere at GetUSB.info we are a fan of the USB key logger technology.  After all, what better way to find out what employees, girlfriends and such are doing with their spare time.  Especially with all the social network, it’s important to know what is, or is not, being said about you. We have reported about USB key loggers before, but this one is especially nice with the old school PS/2 connector.  Great for the older machines. The device comes with 2MB of internal memory, but check it often as that amount of space will be filled quickly. Pricing is a bit different depending on the connection type you need.  $60-$75. Here is the USB key logger product page. Reminder from UberGizmo. Continue Reading

USB IceBox by Windows

The Windows IceBox is an interesting little tool.  It’s a software program which runs from a USB stick that locks down partitions on your hard drive.  The concept is that you lock down partitions on your hard drive so that other users, like your kids, don’t get in there and start accidentally deleting important files, registry entries, uninstalling software,etc.

USB Windows IceBox

The USB Windows IceBox includes recovery software for your hard drive and has the ability to block virus software or malware programs from getting into your computer. From my perspective, it’s a nice little tool, but if you have the smarts to partition up your hard drive, you probably have the smarts to create multiple users as well.  See the USB Windows IceBox will lock down your partitions when you walk away [certain amount of idle time] but you can do the same thing with User Login priveleges.  Just don’t give your kids Continue Reading

USB Hard Drive Case With Biometric Encryption

So here is a sweet little deal I stumbled upon at USBFever.  For $27 you can get a USB hard drive case with biometric fingerprint encryption scanner.

USB hard drive biometrics

Given how cheap USB hard drives are these days, it’s easy to have them become your backup device of choice.  Well, if you’re like me, chances are you are backing up the QuickBooks or MAS90 accounting programs which need a bit more security.  It would be bad enough to lose your portable hard drive, so at least protect it with your fingerprint. The USB hard drive case with biometric encryption supports the IDE / USB 2.5″ hard drive sizes along with plug & play insertion and removal. The fingerprint biometrics supports all Windows platforms, but not Mac.  So if you’re about to drop $15-$20 for an external case, pay just a couple bucks more and get the USB encrypted version. Continue Reading

Personal USB Swipe Credit Card Reader

USB smartswipe You personal security for on-line shopping has finally arrived.  No more malware keylogging your credit cards, pins and CID number.  With this personal credit card swipe machine you are very secure to buy all that gadget crap off eBay. SmartSwipe is the first to introduce this brilliant product.  What the USB swipe credit card machine does, is read the mag strip, encrypts the data and sends it Continue Reading

USB Copy Protection verse USB Encryption

There are some fundamental differences between USB Copy Protection verse USB Encryption for data on flash drives. Many companies confuse and muddy the terminology between the two. It’s time to clear things up and explain the difference.

In short: USB copy protection secures a file or set of files so they cannot be copied – thus “copy protection.” USB encryption scrambles the source files so they cannot be read unless you decrypt them. Think about this… there is a BIG difference.

USB Encryption vs USB Copy Protection

Encryption is the process of scrambling files and data so they cannot be accessed unless a password or key is supplied to reassemble the content and put everything back together. This process is known as decryption.

The primary use for USB encryption is to protect files and data in the event the USB stick is lost or stolen.

Where encryption and USB copy protection differ is that with encryption, once you have the password, you can copy the data at will. With USB copy protection, the files and data are locked to the device and cannot be copied off, regardless of the user’s intent.

USB Copy Protection secure flash drive

USB copy protection is similar to encryption with the use of scrambling and unscrambling data; however, USB copy protection adds another layer of security by preventing unauthorized copies. It wraps the data in a specialized algorithm, then uses a customized viewer to decrypt the data for viewing. The viewer requires specific hardware components to run, blocking any ability to copy and play the file elsewhere.

As you can see, USB copy protection is ideal for protecting intellectual property regardless of the user, whereas USB encryption is mainly for protecting data if lost or stolen.

As a side note, a USB stick with encryption can be formatted, thus removing all sensitive data. A USB copy-protected stick, on the other hand, locks content into a Read-Only partition, making deleting or formatting ineffective.

If you need USB encryption, consider using TrueCrypt, a free, open-source encryption tool offering high-level security.

If you need USB copy protection to secure content that must not be copied under any circumstances, visit Nexcopy for professional USB secure flash drive solutions. Their devices also utilize 128-bit AES encryption for maximum protection.

Example: Why a Teacher Should Choose USB Copy Protection Over Simple Encryption

Imagine a chemistry teacher who has spent months creating a comprehensive digital course filled with valuable information, detailed diagrams, and step-by-step video tutorials. The teacher plans to sell this course to students for $1,000 per person.

The Encryption Scenario

The teacher decides to use USB encryption to secure the course material. Each USB drive is password-protected, and only students who purchase the course receive the password. At first glance, this sounds secure – no password means no access.

However, the problem begins after the password is entered. Once a student unlocks the USB drive, they can freely:

  • Copy all course files to their computer
  • Print worksheets, study guides, and full lessons
  • Share the unlocked files online or with friends for free

This means that one paying student can give the entire $1,000 chemistry course to dozens of other people without the teacher earning any additional income. Encryption does not prevent copying – it only delays access until the password is entered.

The Copy Protection Scenario

Now, let’s look at what happens if the teacher uses USB copy protection instead. The teacher provides the same USB course drive, but this time the files are locked with professional USB copy protection technology.

With copy protection:

  • Any student can view the course files instantly – no password required
  • The files cannot be copied to another device
  • The content cannot be printed or uploaded online
  • Even a tech-savvy student cannot bypass the protection because the data is hardware-locked to the USB stick

This ensures that each student must purchase their own USB course drive to access the information, preserving the teacher’s $1,000-per-student revenue and preventing lost sales.

So what do do?

If the chemistry teacher chooses basic encryption, they risk losing thousands of dollars as one student could distribute the unlocked files to an entire class or even upload them online for free. By selecting USB copy protection, the teacher maintains control of the digital course material, protects their intellectual property, and ensures that only paying students benefit from their hard work.

For secure, professional-grade USB copy protection solutions, consider Nexcopy’s secure flash drives which combine 128-bit AES encryption with true copy protection technology.

Continue Reading

Cigarette Lighter As USB Spy Camera

So what are some basic elements you need to overcome to use the USB spy camera packed up as a cigarette lighter?  First, you need to be someone who smokes…or looks like someone who smokes.  It wouldn’t be easy to use this product on your friends, if they know you don’t smoke.  Second, you need to be willing to let the world know you’re a smoker.  This probably isn’t a big deal for most people in the world, but being from California, it’s something no one approves of.

usb cigarette lighter

So if you’ve gotten past the stigma, then the cigarette lighter spy camera is a viable option to bust your best friend, wife or boss with suspicious activity. With 2GB of built in memory, you’ll never have a shortage of memory for audio or video surveillance.  In addition, the video quality is fairly good at 640 x 480 pixels and a respectable 16 frames per second [respectable given the size of the device at just 5.3 x 3.7 x 1.2 cm].  Once your mission is complete, and you feel something good was caught on tape, simply download the content via USB and make your case. Continue Reading

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